Masking tape is a removable adhesive tape used to provide temporary protection to an area while an adjacent area is being worked on. Originally designed to mask one part of an automobile’s two-tone paint job while the other part was being completed, masking tape has found many other uses since. Besides masking, it can be used to seal packages, splice poster board or other material, hold a drop cloth in place, bundle items together, and label material, among other uses.

In the basic product, adhesive is supplied on a crepe backing to create an easily torn manila-colored tape. Basic masking tape comes in widths of ½ inch (~13 mm), ¾ inch (~19 mm), 1 inch (~25 mm), 1 ½ inch (~38 mm), 2 inches (~51 mm) and 3 inches (~76 mm). Masking tape is sold both in individual rolls and in packs of several rolls, and the cardboard core has a characteristically large diameter, making it possible to carry or wear the tape like a bracelet. Black masking tape is also available.

Recommendations for removing masking tape cleanly include pulling it at a moderate pace and at a 90-degree angle, working at a time when the surface is neither too hot nor too cold because either temperature extreme can cause problems. If it is too hot, some adhesive residue may be left; if too cold, the masking tape may tear easily. While standard masking tape is good at a maximum temperature of around 150ºF (66ºC) for about an hour, high temperature masking tape handles heats of up to 350ºF (177ºC) for an hour. It is important to choose a tape designed for the ambient temperature as well as the particular material one is masking in order to avoid any sort of damage.

A special form of masking tape called painter’s tape is formulated to be cleanly removable after long periods of time, with some brands claiming to release well up to 60 days after application. Some painter’s tapes are labeled with phrases such as “clean removal” or “safe release,” and you can often pick them out by their color, which is usually blue or green. Another specially formulated masking tape is made with particularly strong adhesion properties to allow it to stick to surfaces that resist sticking.

Masking tape is also available in a range of colors. Colored masking tape can be used for color-coding shipments and inventory, decorating, marking floors, making signs, mapping, and art projects.